The Re-Impact Medusa Blade

General description:
Weighing around 60 grams and being about 9.5 mm thick, the Medusa is a low-catapult, all-round combination blade with forehand and backhand sides that possess moderately different characteristics.

The forehand provides high control and spin, and medium high speed. The backhand provides medium to low speed, high control, and good spin-reversal. The blade is relatively stiff and low-throw. It has a very direct feel.

Suitability for styles:
The Medusa is designed for aggressive but precise close to the table backhand blocking combined with forehand loop-attack, but, especially due to its low catapult, it will also support backhand chopping combined with forehand loop-attack very well.

Suitability for rubbers:
The Medusa’s forehand combines well with inverted rubbers and short or medium pips-out rubbers. There are no special restrictions for rubbers to use with this blade, but it has been designed to work especially well with grippy long pips-out rubbers on its backhand side, with or without sponge.

Idiosyncrasies:
Almost all Re-Impact blades, having been designed for specific purposes, have special properties which are beneficial to the desired style of play, but in some situations may pose unexpected problems. However, the catapult in the Medusa is so low, that these problems will hardly ever arise, if at all.

Blade Protection:
The blade is sealed and so extra sealing is not really required, it won’t do any harm to add some extra protection on the blade face, just don’t add to much (2 thin layers is plenty) or it harden the feel of the blade. Balsa is very vulnerable and since it’s exposed on the edges, it makes sense to protect the edge of the blade. A coating will help some, but better still is thick (or foamed) edge-tape.

Protection of the grip using sealing or tape is not advisable, as the blade’s KSLS-system should be in optimal contact with the hand.

Medusa Pictures:

Below are some pictures of this blade. Click on the image to see the full size version.